


A Flower in Mahal's Halls.

by Gelflings_in_a_Tardis



Series: Death is the Beginning. [5]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives Except Bilbo Baggins, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bilbo is a girl, F/M, Mahal thinks Hobbits are interesting, One Shot, Possessive Dwarves, Sad Plot bunnies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:47:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27910249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gelflings_in_a_Tardis/pseuds/Gelflings_in_a_Tardis
Summary: Bella does not survive the Battle of the Five Armies but instead of finding herself in Yavanna's Garden she is instead in Mahal's Halls.The Valar and the Hobbit are not sure what to do and the rest of folk in Mahal's Halls have mixed feelings about it all.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins & Thorin's Company, Bilbo Baggins/Dwalin
Series: Death is the Beginning. [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/980145
Comments: 5
Kudos: 111





	A Flower in Mahal's Halls.

**Author's Note:**

> I have other Fics I should be tackling but once again these bunnies would not be silenced. I hope this finds all of you in good health and as close to low stress as 2020 can produce.

The Battle of the Five Armies was a sight for all to behold and even more thrilling when it was retold in the years that followed. Many spoke of how Man and Elf joined forces to battle against the Orc army led by the foul being Azog and even more of how the Dwarves exploded their own gate to join the fray. There was tales a plenty about how Bard of Laketown had shot down the great red dragon Smaug and even a bit about how the greed of dwarves might have started it all.   
But only Dwarves and a few Hobbits spoke of the little Hobbit lass that gave up everything to help a group of dirty strangers, fell in love and then perished during the Battle.   
For the Hobbits she was mostly used as a cautionary tale about why the fauntlings should never go on adventures and the Tooks told her story with pride of how she went on the greatest adventure any of them could dream of. Thorin Oakenshield King Under the Mountain had made sure to send back her effects and much more including a painting, her share of the treasure, and his pledge that the Dwarves of Erebor were forever indebted to the Took family.   
  
All the dwarves of Erebor knew the story of Bella Baggins.  
Her story was told so often that most could recite it from memory and thanks to Ori it was also written down to be kept in the Great Library. Thorin even ordered copies of it to be sent to Ered Luin and his cousin Dane took a few back to the Iron Hills with him.   
  
Bella Baggins had been a proper little Hobbit with a tidy home where she lived all alone until the day her Mother's old friend paid her a visit which ended with 12 dwarves invading said home that night.   
None would ever know what truly got her to go along with them on such a perilous quest. There had even been bets placed with Nori thinking she fancied one of them, Bofur thinking his hat somehow helped and Ori very quietly offered that perhaps she was lonely.   
  
In the beginning they all thought she was an odd fussy little thing with her fear of horses, those fuzzy feet that she actually combed in the evening while grumbling under her breath about things snagging the hair, but she never complained out loud to them.   
Even when they were complaining about the weather, the food or the stink of Trolls being in their beards she was silent. Slowly they grew to accept her and by the time they reached Rivendell a few were actually fond of her.   
Thorin still complained loudly that he thought she was a burden with Dwalin shadowing him that the road was no place for gentle folk like her, Balin was more reserved but still came across as a mite disapproving. Oin and Gloin were casual observers though she was growing on Gloin at a tremendous rate since she was the only one willing to listen to his stories about his wife and wee lad Gimli. The Ur family seemed to have warmed to the Burglar quite nicely and Bofur could be found most evenings chatting with her while she helped his brother Bombur prepare their dinner. Balin's apprentice Ori and Bella had become fast friends first over their love of books and then sewing of all things; Dori, his eldest brother seemed to not approve but Ori would not give up his first real friend. Nori was a mystery as always however he did seem to enjoy making her blush. The prince were enamored with the wee lass almost from the beginning much to Thorin's chagrin.   
  
Dwalin had been suspicious of the little being from the beginning. Bella had been so polite to him even though he had shown up at her home late in the evening, covered in weapons and entirely unexpected.  
Everything about her perplexed him.   
From her leaf shaped ears that peeked through her cinnamon curls to the mischief he could see dancing in her green eyes, from the way she didn't seem to tire of listening to Gloin crow on about his family to how well she handled Kili and Fili being themselves. Bella didn't seem to miss anything and yet she managed more than once to practically disappear in plain sight on him!   
There were moments in the beginning when she would be on watch with him that her presence almost put him at ease despite all his reservations about her being there in the first place. Slowly she began to speak to him and the conversation flowed between them as easily as water. Sitting there under the stars he began to understand the queer little lass and before he knew it he considered her a friend.   
The encounter with the Trolls had shook him to his core but in the end Bella's wits had saved all their arses. He had been on his way to check on her when he heard Thorin dressing her down for putting them all at risk and for the first time he didn't agree with his King. Seeing the pain and sadness on Bella's pretty face made him falter as Thorin called his name.   
  
In Rivendell when Bella had joined them for dinner, the dirt of travel washed from her face and wearing an actual dress Dwalin felt the stirrings of something new but he pushed it aside. 

The entire ordeal in the Misty Mountains was enough to give Dwalin a heart attack between trying to do his job to keep his King and princes safe while worrying about Bella. He had tried to speak to her after the fall but Thorin's words and the rain had ruined any chance of that. The raw pain in her eyes as Thorin's words rang out " **She doesn't belong with us!** " tore at Dwalin's heart.   
When she appeared at the end of it all he had thought he had a head wound because honestly who would come back after being spoken to like that?   
Her words were so eloquent about why she returned and why she would stay that Dwalin could only stare at her as the sun set her curls ablaze. What a fantastic creature!   
  
Feet dangling in the air Dwalin had almost choked on his heart as he watched the Burglar dashing down the tree trunk to defend Thorin. It was amazing watching someone so small stand up to something so huge and he felt pride at her actions.   
  
Landing on the Carrock after riding on the back of an enormous eagle was not something that Dwalin would soon forget but he missed most of the interaction between Tharkun and the King of the Eagles as he strained to see Bella.   
A tiny flare of jealous unfurled in his chest as his King seized Bella in a hug as he apologized.   
  
  
Getting to the Skin Changers cabin opened Dwalin's eyes to more than he was expecting as he strolled beside Bella for the majority of it.   
It was there at Beorn's that he realized the little hobbit was his One and despite what awaited them at the end Dwalin's heart sang with happiness. He managed to carve out a few moments for them there in the vast gardens and share his feelings with her.   
Her kisses were sweeter than the honey produced by the giant bees there as she returned his affections. The big warrior had never thought someone as gentle as Bella could love him but there under the stars Bella spoke her heart to him and he would never forget those words for the rest of his days.   
  
It was bittersweet leaving Beorn's but they knew that all good things come to an end and they had to get to the Lonely Mountain by Durin's Day. 

Spiders and Wood Elves were enough to muss up anyone's courtship.   
  
Dwalin almost fainted when Bella appeared outside his cell, pale and a little worse for wear but alive and ready to free them. He had wanted to force her to get in his barrel instead she had called him an idiot and pointed out that dwarves couldn't swim. It wasn't till Laketown that she would inform him that Hobbits couldn't either.   
  
Laketown was in a sad state compared to what he could recall from the stories so long ago. It pained him to leave Bella's side while she was sick but he had to accompany Thorin to numerous meetings with the Mayor of Laketown and his creepy little assistant.   
Both knew what was waiting for them at the end of their journey and once Bella was feeling well enough they made the most of their time together.   
Dwarrow were not promiscuous nor were they prudes. That didn't stop him from being shocked to his boots when Bella pulled him to her bed and began to disrobe him.   
"I don't know how this will end. I want this with you before we go to meet what might be our end." she whispered to him as the candle light made her hair look like copper wire.   
Their lovemaking seemed to him as something from one of those books the females love and Dwalin savored it all. Every sound she made, the silkiness of her skin, the scent of her set his blood on fire and he was willing to burn alive from it as he cherished her. Every touch from her was electric and she seemed to want to touch him everywhere. The passion felt like it was hot enough to melt his axes as he thrust into her and he could have died of ecstasy right there in her arms.   
_"I love you."  
  
  
The moment their feet touched the soil of Erebor Dwalin had felt different.  
He could remember Bella leaving to see if Smaug still lived but could barely recall her returning other than she carried the Arkenstone with her. From there it's a haze other than counting all the treasure with the vague knowledge that after Smaug had left he had died. Bella's tear streaked face appeared a time or two but that's all he could remember until after she was gone and the Battle had begun. _

It had felt like he was surfacing after being underwater for far too long and the guilt he felt was crushing.   
  
He fought along side his King and Kin, cutting their way across the battlefield. For a moment he had thought he'd heard Bella call out but the roars of the Orcs and the dying had cut it off. Azog's spawn had managed to cut him off from Thorin and it wasn't till after the eagles had come that he had found his King.   
There in the middle of the frozen river, ice cracked all around him knelt Thorin and at first Dwalin had thought his King was cradling a broken arm or perhaps one of the Princes. Nothing could have prepared him to see Bella cradled there in Thorin's arms, her face paler than it should ever be. He knew what he was looking at despite his heart denying it and as his gaze drifted to where Thorin was holding pressure on her belly his world collapsed.   
She tried to smile but a tear slipped from the corner of her eye " _Oh Dwalin there you are..._ " she whispered as another tear shed.   
"Oh no Bella" he moaned dropping to his knees beside them.   
Thorin's eyes were panicked, more panicked than he had ever seen them and there was a tremor to the King's hands as he held her.   
"I'm sorry Bella. I'm so sorry for everything."   
The soft sound of Bella's blood hitting the snow sounded like a clock ticking and Dwalin hated it. He hated that she was in Thorin's arms and not his. Hated that she had been out in the Battle when she should have been somewhere safe, somewhere away from all of this... all of them.   
A very small hand dropped on to his and he pressed it to his lips not caring about the blood that stained between the fingers or the dirt under her nails. He caressed her cheek and felt a tear of his own slip down as she weakly pressed into the touch.   
"Is there some way we can get her down to Oin?" he asked lamely.   
Thorin shook his head sadly while Bella chuckled "Even I know that I wouldn't make it down from here, **Amralime**."   
Nothing could stop the sob that broke free "Bella I- I-"   
"Shhhh I know. I have already forgiven all of you."   
A soft sniffle from Thorin broke the silence as Dwalin continued "I wish- I wish things had gone differently."   
"Me too" Bella's chuckled sounded wet and Dwalin pressed a hand against his eye to try to stop the tears.   
Determination flooded him "I have to do something! What if I brought Oin up here? I could go now!"  
A firm grip stopped him from rising and blue eyes pinned him in place "No."   
_"I'm so cold"_ Bella whispered her lips taking on a blue tinge.   
Carefully as if she was made of glass they wrapped her in his cloak and slipped her into his arms.   
"Sanâzyung, you can't leave me" he pressed his forehead to hers "who will keep me out of trouble?"   
Her hand was like ice as she placed it on his cheek "I'm sure Thorin can manage until you become my problem again."   
More tears rained down " _please stay with me._ "   
"I would if I could, Kurdun. I don't think we get a say this time." her words were coming softer.   
He held her close and prayed. Prayed to Yavanna, to Mahal, to any Valar that he thought might listen to let her stay with him.   
The sound was soft, almost like a butterfly's wing and she was gone.   
Many would recall the sound of agony that filled the air and carried on into the night but none would speak of it.   
  
  
  



End file.
